Students Not happy with HDK Budget! ABVP Stages Protest near DC Office
Mangaluru: Students of University College-Mangaluru and Ramakrishna College -Mangaluru, as part of ABVP, a student wing of the BJP, staged a protest near DC’s Office on Friday, 6 July 2018 condemning the budget presented by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Raising slogans against HDK Government, the protesters said that the budget has completely forgotten the students and the education body.
Nithin, one of ABVP leader speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” This budget by CM HD Kumaraswamy doesn’t include any benefits/facilities for us, students. They have abolished the bus passes. Poor students, including SC/ST students have been ignored and neglected. SC/ST students need better hostel facilities, but this budget lacks it. Many of the vacant lecturers/teachers are still vacant, and the government has not taken any initiative towards it. The CM who had made big promises has now lied to the students. Looks like the CM’s budget is not fit for the education sector, including students and teachers. We will intensify our protest by joining students from other colleges, until justice is served to us by making changes in the budget”.
There was a slight commotion between the police and a bunch of ABVP leaders, when one of the student was detained by the cops since he had blocked the entrance of the DC gate, even after repeated requests from the cops. At that moment, a group of other students stormed near the police jeep urging the cops to let go the detained student. After a brief argument between the cops and students, the cops released the student. There was a heavy police patrol at the protest area to prevent any untoward incident.
But recalling the news in June, much to the disappointment of students across Karnataka, the JD(S)-Congress government had said that it will no more offering passes for free travel by bus as promised by the previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. Citing non-availability of funds, State-run bus corporations have decided to collect money from students while issuing ‘concessional passes’ at rates that were applicable last year. In the budget presented in February, then chief minister Siddaramaiah had announced that all students from primary school to post graduation would get free bus passes. This would have benefited 9.60 lakh students across the State.
Earlier, students have been getting passes at concessional rates that have not changed since the time they were introduced eight years ago. Though students were under the impression that they were paying 25% of the bus pass cost, they were technically paying only 8 to 9%. It is learnt that KSRTC issues bus passes to 6.50 lakh students annually. While the State government has said that issuing free bus pass to students would have cost the exchequer an additional Rs. 630 crore.
